Spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger with a roller, support lines and return line configured to facilitate retraction of the fully extended hanger

ABSTRACT

A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly with a roller, support lines and a return line configured to facilitate retraction of the fully extended hanger bar includes a spring-biased window shade style roller assembly. The roller assembly features a pair of mounting pintles that extend from opposed ends of the roller. As the support lines are extended, the roller rotates in an extension direction and the roller&#39;s spring is wound, so that a biasing force is generated which will restore the assembly to a desired position upon disengagement, such as by quickly rotating the roller in the extension direction and releasing. The support lines are configured to support the hanger bar at a desired height when the lines are fully extended. The return line is longer than the support lines by an additional length sufficient to wrap around the roller one or more times when the support lines are in their fully extended position. The bottom end of the return line is a free end.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to a hanging apparatus, and, more particularly, to a spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger with a roller, support lines and return line configured to facilitate retraction of the fully extended hanger.

BACKGROUND

Various retractable hanger assemblies have been devised for hanging objects, such as garments. Examples of such assemblies include pivoting support arms, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,252,242; 4,856,661; 5,181,685; 5,538,146; 5,820,205 and 6,394,289. Similarly, various spring-biased hanging bars have been conceived, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,226,569; 6,315,357.

Another example is a retractable hanging apparatus comprised of a spring biased roller hanging assembly as in U.S. Pat. No. 7,165,688 (the '688 patent). The assembly includes a bar, upon which an article is hung. The bar is suspended by lines attached to a spring-biased roller rotatably mounted between two brackets. A braking system is required to secure the bar at a desired height and prevent sudden retraction. If a conventional spring biased roller is fully unrolled by fully extending the lines, then the roller assembly cannot be further unrolled to unlock the ratchet and pawl assembly thereby enabling retraction. The braking mechanism of the '688 patent prevents full extension, thereby ensuring additional rolled length of line to facilitate further unrolling, thereby enabling retraction.

While the aforementioned hanging apparatuses serve their intended purposes, they have shortcomings. Many of the support arms and hanging bars are unsightly and must be located within reach and plain view. The spring-biased roller hanging assembly of the '688 patent requires a means for preventing fully extension, such as a complex unconventional braking assembly. Not only does the braking assembly increase manufacturing costs, but it substantially compromises reliability.

What is needed is an aesthetically pleasing or inconspicuous, easy to use, retractable hanging device that employs a conventional spring-biased roller assembly without an unconventional braking mechanism, with support lines fully extendible to a hanging height, and means to rotate the roller assembly and facilitate retraction of the fully extended hanger. The invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems and solving one or more of the needs as set forth above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To solve one or more of the problems set forth above, in an exemplary implementation of the invention, an exemplary spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly with a roller, support lines and a return line configured to facilitate retraction of the fully extended hanger bar, according to principles of the invention, includes a spring-biased window shade style roller assembly. The roller assembly features a pair of mounting pintles that extend from opposed ends of the roller. The pintles may be received into mounting brackets or support structures. One of the pintles is of flattened or other than round cross-section, and is received into a correspondingly shaped opening or slot whereby the axle or shaft of the roller to which such pintle is secured is restrained against rotation. The shaft associated is associated with a winding spring in the roller assembly. The other pintle is of rounded cross-section, whereby when it is received in a corresponding opening or slot it may freely rotate. Means (such as a ratchet and pawl) are provided to control motion of the roller. As the support lines are extended, the roller rotates in an extension direction and the mentioned spring is wound, so that a biasing force is generated which will restore the assembly to a desired position upon disengagement of the motion control means, such as by quickly rotating the roller in the extension direction and releasing.

In another aspect of the invention, an exemplary mounting enclosure, sized to receive and operably support the roller, is provided. The roller fits into and is supported within a corresponding compartment in the enclosure. The enclosure includes open top and bottom ends to allow insertion of the roller and extension of the hanger bar respectively. The enclosure includes mounting means such as tabs with holes for receiving screws, nuts, nails or similar mounting hardware and securing the enclosure against a ceiling or other suitable mounting substrate. One side wall of the interior of the enclosure includes a slot configured to receive the flattened pintle and restrain it against rotation. The opposite side wall of the interior of the enclosure includes a slot configured to receive the rounded pintle and allow it to freely rotate.

The support lines are configured to support the hanger bar at a desired height when the lines are fully extended. Ribbons are preferred as support lines to provide added lateral stability and reduce traveling of a line as it rewinds. Optionally, guides may be provided on the roller and or the enclosure to guide the support lines during rewinding. The support lines are sized to extend the hanger bar to a determined height when fully extended. The support lines may be pre-sized or cut to size by a user. The upper ends of the support lines are attached to the roller at attachment points by tying, bonding, mechanical coupling or other means of attachment. The lower ends of the support lines are attached to the hanger bar at attachment points by tying, bonding, mechanical coupling or other means of attachment.

When the hanger bar is fully retracted, the vast majority of the lengths of the support lines are fully wound around the areas of the roller corresponding to their respective points of attachment. When the support lines are fully extended, the weight of objects (e.g., clothing) hung on the hanger bar is carried by the roller.

In another aspect of the invention, the return line is longer than the support lines by a length of approximately Δ, which is enough additional length to wrap around the roller one or more times when the support lines are in their fully extended position. The additional length Δ also serves as a pull cord to facilitate reaching and pulling down the hanger bar. The additional length Δ is approximately n×πd, where d is the diameter of the roller and n, the number of times the additional length Δ of the return line wraps around the roller, is greater than zero and preferably greater than 1. As the bottom end of the return line is a free end, the return line may extend beyond the fully extended support lines.

The mounting pintles, which extend from opposed ends of the roller, may be received into mounting brackets in lieu of the corresponding slots on opposed sidewalls of the enclosure Wall, ceiling and frame mountings may be utilized. Each such mounting includes a pair of mounting brackets. One mounting bracket in each pair includes a slot configured to receive the flattened pintle and restrain it against rotation. The other mounting bracket in each pair includes an aperture configured to receive the rounded pintle and allow it to freely rotate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other aspects, objects, features and advantages of the invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, where:

FIG. 1 shows a front plan view of an exemplary spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly with a roller, support lines and return line configured to facilitate retraction of the fully extended hanger bar, according to principles of the invention; and

FIG. 2 shows a rear perspective view of an exemplary spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly with a roller, support lines and return line configured to facilitate retraction of the fully extended hanger bar, according to principles of the invention; and

FIG. 3 shows a top perspective view of an exemplary spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly with a roller, support lines and return line configured to facilitate retraction of the fully extended hanger bar, according to principles of the invention; and

FIGS. 4A through 4C show perspective views of various non-limiting examples of mounting hardware and configurations for a spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly with a roller, support lines and return line configured to facilitate retraction of the fully extended hanger bar, according to principles of the invention; and

FIGS. 5A and 5B show front plan views of an exemplary spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly with a roller, support lines and return line configured to facilitate retraction of the fully extended hanger bar, in retracted and extended positions, respectively, according to principles of the invention; and

FIG. 5C shows front plan views of exemplary support lines relative to an exemplary return line, according to principles of the invention

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the figures are not intended to be drawn to any particular scale; nor are the figures intended to illustrate every embodiment of the invention. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments depicted in the figures or the types of shapes, relative sizes, ornamental aspects or proportions shown in the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, in which like parts are indicated with the same reference numerals, various views of an exemplary spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly 100 with a roller 105, support lines 120, 135 and a return line 125 configured to facilitate retraction of the fully extended hanger bar 140, according to principles of the invention, is conceptually shown. The roller 105 is shown removed from an optional mounting enclosure 115 for convenience of reference. The optional mounting enclosure 115 is sized to receive and operably support the roller 105.

The exemplary roller 105 is a conventional spring-biased window shade style roller assembly, featuring a pair of mounting pintles 155, 160 extend from opposed ends of the roller 105 which may be received into mounting brackets (such as the brackets shown in FIG. 4) or into corresponding slots 305, 310 on opposed sidewalls of the enclosure 115. One of the pintles 160 is of flattened or other than round cross-section, and is received into a correspondingly shaped opening or slot 310, whereby the axle or shaft of the roller 105 to which such pintle 160 is secured is restrained against rotation. The shaft associated with this pintle thus extends within the window shade roller (not shown), and is associated with a winding spring (also not shown) as is well known in the art. The other pintle 155 is of rounded cross-section, whereby when it is received in a corresponding opening or slot 305, it may freely rotate. A ratchet and pawl arrangement (not shown) is provided to control motion of the roller, in a conventional manner known in the art. As the support lines 120, 135 are extended, the roller rotates in an extension direction and the mentioned spring is wound, so that a biasing force is generated which will restore the assembly to a desired position upon the pawl and ratchet being disengaged, in a conventional manner known in the art. The pawl and ratchet are disengaged by quickly rotating the roller 105 in the extension direction and releasing.

The optional exemplary mounting enclosure 115 is sized to receive and operably support the roller 105. The roller 105 fits into and is supported within a corresponding compartment in the enclosure 115. The enclosure 155 includes open top and bottom ends to allow insertion of the roller 105 and extension of the hanger bar 140, respectively. The optional mounting enclosure 115 includes mounting means such as tabs 175, 180 with holes 205, 210 for receiving screws, nuts, nails or similar mounting hardware and securing the enclosure against a ceiling or other suitable mounting substrate. One side wall of the interior of the enclosure 115 includes a slot 310 configured to receive the flattened pintle 160 and restrain it against rotation. The opposite side wall of the interior of the enclosure 115 includes a slot 305 configured to receive the rounded pintle 155 and allow it to freely rotate. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention is not limited to an embodiment with an enclosure or to the exemplary enclosure depicted in the figures. Any mounting means that operably engages the roller and allows extension and retraction of the hanging bar 140 may be utilized within the principles of and comes with the scope of the invention.

An important aspect of the invention is the arrangement of the support lines 120, 135, which are configured to support the hanger bar at a desired height when the lines 120, 125 are fully extended. The support lines 120, 125 may be synthetic, natural or a combination formed as cord, rope twine, wire, filament, ribbons or other pliant structure suitable for winding on a roller and providing structural support. However, ribbons are preferred to provide added lateral stability and reduce traveling of the line as it rewinds. Optionally, guides may be provided on the roller 105 and or the enclosure 115 to guide the support lines 120, 135 during rewinding.

Importantly, the support lines 120, 135 are sized to extend the hanger bar to a determined height when fully extended. The support lines 120, 135 may be pre-sized or cut to size by a user. The upper ends of the support lines 120, 135 are attached to the roller at attachment points 165, 170 by tying, bonding, mechanical coupling or other means of attachment. Likewise, the lower ends of the support lines 120, 135 are attached to the hanger bar at attachment points 185, 190 by tying, bonding, mechanical coupling or other means of attachment.

When the hanger bar 140 is fully retracted, the vast majority of the lengths of the support lines 120, 135 are fully wound around the areas of the roller 105 corresponding to their respective points of attachment. When the support lines 120, 135 are fully extended, the weight of objects (e.g., clothing) hung on the hanger bar 140 is carried by the roller 105. However, the weight will not cause the roller to continue unraveling support line 120, 135, because the support line is already fully unwound. If the support lines 120, 135 were much longer than necessary to achieve the desired height, then when the hanger bar 140 is extended to the desired height and objects are placed on the hanger bar 140, the weight of the objects could cause the support lines to continue unraveling from the roller 105. Eventually, the hanger bar 140 would progress downwardly to an undesirable height, much below the desired height, and the hung objects may actually begin touching the floor, which could soil the objects. The invention avoids this problem by ensuring that the support lines 120, 135 are sized to extend the hanger bar to a determined height when fully extended.

Another important aspect of the invention is the configuration of the return line 125, which is conceptually shown relative to the support lines 120, 135 in FIG. 5A and 5B, and particularly in 5C. As shown in FIG. 5C, the return line 125 is longer than the support lines 120, 135 by a length of approximately Δ 110, which is enough additional length 110 to wrap around the roller 105 one or more times when the support lines 120, 135 are in their fully extended position, as in FIG. 5B. The additional length Δ 110 also serves as a pull cord to facilitate reaching and pulling down the hanger bar 140. To this end, a hand knob 150 or other structure suitable for gripping may be attached to the free end of the return line 125. The additional length Δ 110 is approximately n×πd+l, where d is the diameter of the roller and n, the number of times the additional length Δ 110 of the return line 125 wraps around the roller 105, is greater than zero and preferably greater than 1, and l is length of the pull cord portion. Some of the additional length n×πd may wrap around the roller 105 to facilitate disengagement, while the remaining additional length l (i.e., the length of the return line extended below the hanger bar) may hang freely to facilitate grasping. In an alternative embodiment, the return line 125 may be attached to the hanger bar 140.

By way of example and not limitation, if the hanger assembly 100 is mounted to a ten (10) foot high ceiling, and the desired height for the fully extended hanger bar 140 is five (5) feet, then the support lines 120, 135 may be five (5) feet in length and the return line 125 may be eight (8) feet or more in length. Thus, when the hanger bar 140 is retracted, the return line 125 may extends several feet down from the ceiling to a height of that is easily within reach of an ordinary user but sufficiently high to avoid interfering with normal activities. The additional length Δ of the return line 125 is more than adequate to disengage and retract the assembly by quickly rotating the roller 105 in the extension direction and then releasing.

Importantly, the return line 125 is not attached to the hanger bar 140. Thus, the return line 125 may be extended beyond the full extension of the support lines 120, 135, which are attached to the hanger bar 140. In the exemplary embodiment shown in the Figures, the return line 125 freely passes through an aperture 145 in the hanger bar 140.

Now with reference to FIGS. 4A through 4C, the mounting pintles 155, 160, which extend from opposed ends of the roller 105, may be received into mounting brackets in lieu of the corresponding slots 305, 310 on opposed sidewalls of the enclosure 115. Wall 440, ceiling 450 and frame 460 mounting styles are conceptually shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C respectively. Each mounting style includes a pair of mounting brackets. One mounting bracket 405, 415 and 425 in each pair includes a slot configured to receive the flattened pintle 160 and restrain it against rotation. The other mounting bracket 410, 420 and 430 in each pair includes an aperture configured to receive the rounded pintle 155 and allow it to freely rotate. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention is not limited to the mountings depicted in the figures. Any mounting means that operably engages the roller and allows extension and retraction of the hanging bar 140 may be utilized within the principles of and comes with the scope of the invention.

While an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been described, it should be apparent that modifications and variations thereto are possible, all of which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum relationships for the components and steps of the invention, including variations in order, form, content, function and manner of operation, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. The above description and drawings are illustrative of modifications that can be made without departing from the present invention, the scope of which is to be limited only by the following claims. Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents are intended to fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. 

1. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly comprising a roller, said roller being rotatably mounted; a plurality of support lines, each support line having a top end and a bottom end; a return line, the return line having a top end and a bottom end; and a hanger bar; wherein the top end of each support line is attached to said roller and the bottom end of each support line is attached to said hanger bar; and said return line is configured to facilitate retraction of the fully extended hanger bar.
 2. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, wherein when the hanger bar is fully retracted, the support lines are fully wound around the roller and when the support lines are fully extended, objects may be hung on the hanger bar and the entire load is carried by the support lines.
 3. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bottom end of the return line is a free end and the return line is longer than the support lines by a determined additional length.
 4. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bottom end of the return line is a free end and the return line is longer than the support lines by a determined additional length, and the free end includes a hand gripping structure suitable for gripping.
 5. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bottom end of the return line is a free end and the return line is longer than the support lines by a determined additional length which is enough additional length to wrap the return line around the roller at least one more time when the support lines are in their fully extended position.
 6. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bottom end of the return line is a free end and the return line is longer than the support lines by a determined additional length which is enough additional length to wrap the return line around the roller at least one more time when the support lines are in their fully extended position, and the additional length is configured to serves as a pull cord to facilitate reaching and pulling down the hanger bar.
 7. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bottom end of the return line is a free end and the return line is longer than the support lines by a determined additional length which is approximately n×πd+l, where d is a diameter of the roller and n is the number of times the additional length of the return line wraps around the roller and l is a length of the return line extended below the hanger bar.
 8. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, said roller including a pair of mounting pintles that extend from opposed ends of the roller; one of the pintles having an other than round cross-section and extending from a shaft associated with a winding spring in the roller; and the other pintle having a rounded cross-section and being freely rotatable when mounted.
 9. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, said roller including means for controlling motion of the roller, said means winding the winding spring as the roller rotates in an extension direction and the support lines are extended so that a biasing force is generated which will restore the roller to a retracted position upon disengagement of the means for controlling motion of the roller.
 10. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, said means for controlling motion of the roller being configured for disengagement by quickly rotating the roller in the extension direction and then releasing the roller.
 11. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a mounting enclosure configured to receive and operably support the roller, said enclosure including a compartment configured for receiving the roller and an opening configured for allowing extension of the support lines, said compartment including a first mounting support configured to receive the flattened pintle and restrain the flattened pintle against rotation and a second mounting support configured to receive the rounded pintle and allow the rounded pintle to rotate; and mounting tabs configured to securely attach the enclosure to a supporting object.
 12. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support lines are configured to support the hanger bar at a determined height when the lines are fully extended.
 13. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, wherein each support lines is comprised of a ribbon.
 14. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a support line guide associated with each support line and configured to guide the support lines during rewinding and extension.
 15. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support lines are pre-sized to support the hanger bar at a determined height when the lines are fully extended.
 16. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support lines are configured for adjusting to a size to support the hanger bar at a determined height when the lines are fully extended.
 17. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, including mounting brackets configured for wall mounting the roller.
 18. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, including mounting brackets configured for ceiling mounting the roller.
 19. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly according to claim 1, including mounting brackets configured for frame mounting the roller.
 20. A spring-biased extendable and retractable hanger assembly comprising a roller, said roller being rotatably mounted, said roller including a pair of mounting pintles that extend from opposed ends of the roller; one of the pintles having an other than round cross-section and extending from a shaft associated with a winding spring in the roller; and the other pintle having a rounded cross-section and being freely rotatable when mounted; and means for controlling motion of the roller, said means for controlling motion winding the winding spring as the roller rotates in an extension direction and the support lines are extended so that a biasing force is generated which will restore the roller to a retracted position upon disengagement of the means for controlling motion of the roller; and a plurality of support lines, each support line having a top end and a bottom end; a return line, the return line having a top end and a bottom end; and a hanger bar; wherein the top end of each support line is attached to said roller and the bottom end of each support line is attached to said hanger bar; and said return line is configured to facilitate retraction of the fully extended hanger bar; wherein when the hanger bar is fully retracted, the support lines are fully wound around the roller and when the support lines are fully extended, objects may be hung on the hanger bar and the entire load is carried by the support lines; and wherein the bottom end of the return line is a free end and the return line is longer than the support lines by a determined additional length which is enough additional length to wrap the return line around the roller at least one more time when the support lines are in their fully extended position. 